The warning which Mr. Anthony Eden gave the Vichy Government in the House of Commons on Thursday was not only timely but fully expected. Out of the mass of contradictory statements with which Marshal Petain's government has sought tọ explain away further surrender to Germany's demands, emerges one plain fact,—that France is now committed to giving German; every assistance short of actually entering the war on her side, though even that may ultimately occur. Growing suspicions that France has been giving considerable aid to Germany calculated to diminish the effects of the blockade have been confirmed. Within six weeks well over 100,000 tons of war material, wool and fruit have been handed over to the Germans, while at the Paris Fair, M. Bouthillier, Secretary of French National Economy admitted that one-quarter of the French electrical and mechanical industries was working for the Germans. What is really happening is that the Germans are using unoccupied France as an arsenal. hoping that it will remain safe from British attentions, and consequently more valuable than those industrial regions in Germany which the R.A.F. has been battering so effectively.
li is typical of the Germans to shelter behind the skirts of a defeated enemy, but Mr. Eden has made it quite plain that this cannot be allowed' to continue indefinitely. "Tf," he declared, "the Vichy Government in pursuance of their declared policy of collaboration with the enemy take an action or permit an action detrimental to our conduct of war, or designed to assist the enemy's war effort, we shall naturally hold ourselves free to attack the enemy wherever he may be found, and we shall no longer feel bound to draw any distinction between occupied and unoccupied territories in the execution of our military plans." Nothing could be more forthright, and in the circumstances nothing could represent a sounder policy, Marshal Petain has claimed that he has keen following a policy consistent with the national honour of France. That is denied by British and American authorities, and it is doubtful whether any Frenchmen of honour would endeavour to support such an argument. The present collaboration between the Vichy Government and Germany reeks with dishonour, amounting to a betrayal not only of a former Ally but of the best interests of France whose only hope for the future is an Allied victory over the Germans. Nothing has been divulged as to the promises Hitler has given Marshal Petain in exchange for this increased cooperation. A mere 100,000 prisoners of war, out of 1,500,000 are to be allowed to return to their homes, tut beyond that nothing fs known of what other tempting bait has been dangled before Marshal Petain. He cannot possibly believe that Hitler if he emerged victorious from this war would honour his pledges. There would be absolutely no reason why he should, and a man whose very career has been throughout rooted in infamy can be expected no more to change his behaviour than the leopard can his spots.
For just about a year the British Government has been following a very tolerant policy towards the Vichy Government, probably having been influenced by American opinion. That, as is shown by President Roosevelt's declarations to M. Henri Have, the French Ambassador, has considerably stiffened of late. It was inevitable in the light of all the facts that this should be the case, and it is now very apparent that Marshal Petain is robbing his countrymen of any claim to consideration by the adoption of a policy which, whether they want it or not, is ranging them on the side of the enemies of democracy. Loyal Frenchmen will realize that there is not one Briton who would not feel pain in his heart if Marshal Petain by continuance of his present policies forced the British Government to take extreme decisions, but if France is to be converted into a safe asylum for the production of war material for Germany steps will have to be taken to stop it no matter the grief it would cause.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.